Apparatus for softening shoes.



F. M. FURBER.

APPARATUS FOR SOFIE-NiNG SHDES. APPUcATmN HLED1UNE2H.912,

Patented Dee. 26, 1916.

essi AVAILABLE coP j muren srarns PATENT omnes.

FREDERICK- 1i. FURBER, 01?' REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNOR TOUNITED SHOE MACHINERY CDMPANY, F PATERSN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION' 0F NEW JERSEY.

A?PARATUS FR SOFTENING SHOES.

Specification `of Letters Patent.

Patentedjpec. 26.1916.

Application. le .Tune 29, 19112. Serial No. 706,660.

To all 'whom t may concern.:

Be it known that l, .FREDERICK M. FURBEB, a citizen ot the. United States, residing at Revere. in the county of Suffolk and State of 5 Massachusetts, have ix'ivented certain Improvements in .Apparatus for Softening Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference charac- 0 ters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several. figures. A

This invention relates to apparatusA- for softening the toes or other portions of boots or shoes 'by the use of steam or vapor.

5 ln connection with the lasting and pullingover (moral-,ions on shoes it has been found very advantageous to soften the toe box and upper` in order to render the stock more pliable and thus to facilitate the mold- 0 ing of the upper over the toe of the last and the plaiting olf the stock over the insole. lVhile ,various forms of apparatus of this character have gone into general use, they are all, so tary as l am aware7 open to the 5 objection that they require the exercise of consideral'le care to prevent the burning of the stock. This is particularly true if the apparatus is connected with a steam supply in which any considerable pressure is main- 0 tained.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to .devise an apparatus of the char actor indicated in which the shoes can be treated without danger of injuring them and 5-in which the temperature of the vapor can be readily controlled. I have found that this object can be conveniently accomplished by mixing air with steam and using' this mixture to treat the shoe. The air appears to 0 condense the steam sufficiently to produce a `very moist vapor. which is desirable for this purpose, and vet which is cool enough to avoid any injury to the stock. The temperature of the vapor produced in this manner 5 may be readily controlled by varying the relative proportions of the steam and air used in the n'iixture.

ln the acco'npairving drawings l have shown` for purposes of explanation, an apparatus embodying the invent-ion,A which is designed particularly `for use in softening the toe portion ot the upper preparatory to the pullii'ig-over operation.

Figure lis a perspective view of the appa- 5 ralzus showing a shoe in position to he treatrated by a partition l2. T he steamchamber is connected. preferably at its lowest point7 with a steam supply pipe 14. A valve 16 connected into this pipe atone side of the boss G controls the flow of steam there# tl'irough, and a. steam trap 18 connected into the pipe at the other -side of the boss serves to carry away the condensed steam while preventing the flow of steam therethrough. Steam is admitted from (he chamber 8 to the casing 2 through a nozzle 20 which consists of a tapered pin drilled transversely and longitudinally, and seated in a tapered hole formed through the Wallrof the, boss' and the partition 12. For purpose of Withdrawing the nozzle from its seat when desired its rear end is reduced and threaded to receive a nut that bears against the back of the boss. The foi-wa rd end of the nozzle projects through an aperture in the rear wall of the easing 2 and has several small diverging holes drilled therein, all lying substantially in a horizontal plane. These holes direct the` steam into the casing in 'a fan-like jet and distribute it substantially uniformly throughout the casing. The steam escapes from the casing through a long, narrow slit Q2 in the casing top.

A series ot' holes Q4 are drilled through thel wall of the boss (i into the air ehauiber l0 to aii'ord a free (low of airthereinto. Since 'the steam is under pressure its escape in a` ried away by a drip pipe 26 set into a drain space formed at the lowest point of the chau'xber in the casing.

As previously stated, the apparatus shown is designed particularly for use in softening Vthe toes ot the shoe uppers preparatory to the pulleyover operation. At this point in the manufacture "of the shoe the upper is Y substantially parallel therewith. A The casing Hoor is extended beyond the outlet 22- and the lasts are placed in the space between the floor and the rest 28 with the uppers at# tached thereto extending over the -top of the casing and across the outlet 22. The vapor issuing from the outlet strikes the lining and inner surface of the upper and spreads over' the entire portion of the upper that it is desirable to seiten. Preferably the casing 2, boss 6 and rest 28 are cast integrally.

Tn order to keep the part of the top of the casing on which the upper rests from becoming heated, a long, narrow slot 30 is cut through the casing top and the inrush of air throughthis slot caused by the How of Vapor through the casing maintains the top of the casing in a cool condition. This slot preferably is closed'by a Wire screen 32 held iii position by a slotted plate 34 and screws yl 36.

In using the apparatus the steam is turned on hyopening the valve 16. Its discharge into the casiu g causes it to draw air through the chamber 10, the relative arrangement of air and steam supplying devices causing the air to be directed against the jet of steam as it emerges from the nozzle and causing the steam to mix automatically with the air. lThis mixture flows rapidly through the casing out of the outlet :22 where it strikes the work which has been placed in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The quantity of vapor can he controlled by adjusting the valve. 16. I find that the temperature of the vapor is only slightlyaiected by variations in the quantity of the steam supplied, hut if it is desired to increase the temperature of the vaporhthis result may be accomplished by closing as many of the holes 24C as is found desirable.. This adjustment decreases the quantity of air mixing with the steam, and since the delivery of steam remains constant, the temperature of the mixture will be raised.

The adjustment of. the apparatus preferihly is such that, while the temperature of he 1.'apor is/high enough to produce quickly BEST AVAILABLE CCNT the desired softening effectK on the upper stock, still it is low enough to avoid any danger ot injuring the stock.

`Having thus described by invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. An apparatus for treating shoes, comprising shoe supporting means, a chamber in communication with a steam supply and with the atmosphere, the pressure of the steam in said chamber beingr less-than that of the atmosphere, whereby a substantial current of air into said chamber is provided and said air and steam are intimately mixed, and means for directing the contents of said chamber on a shoe supported on said means.

2. ,`An apparatus for treating shoes, comprising shoe supporting means, a steam chamber having an opening communicating with the atmosphere, the pressure in said chamber in the yicinity of said opening bemg less than that of the atmosphere, whereby a substantially uniform current of air Hows into said chamber, and is intimately mixed with said steam, and means for directing the mixed air and steam on to a part of a shoe sustained by said means.

An apparatus for treat-ing shoes, com prismg a casing constructed to direct vapor on the part of the shoe to be treated, means for supplyingr steam to said casing, and means for utilizing the action of the steam while it is at a pressure greater than that of the atmosphere to cause it to become intimately imXed with 'air before it strikes the shoe.

4. An apparatus for treating shoes comprising a casing, a steam 'nozzle projecting into said casing, said casing being constructed and arranged to direct air against the steam as it emerges from said nozzle, and means for holding a shoe with a part thereof in position to be acted on by the vapor' passing through the casing. f

5. An apparatus for treating shoes, comprising a hollow casing having a long, narrow outlet in its upper surface, a steam inlet nozzle positioned in the back of said casing, said casing being constructed and arranged to admit air-around the nozzle, and a rest located below the outlet of the casing in .position to support a plurality of lasts with the shoe uppers supported on said lasts extending over said outlet.`

6. An apparatus for treating shoes comprising a casing, means for supplying hot vapor to said casing, an outlet for the vapor, and a rest positioned to support a last with the shoe upper thereon extending over said outlet, said casing having an air intake opening located close to the position occupied by the upper.

7. An apparatus for treating shoes comprising a. casing constructedto direct va or on to the part of the shoe to be treat a SAO '10W the nozzle, and 'n drain pipe` 'openingV nozzle hei-ving connections with :i steam supply and positioned to direct steam into saideasing,said ensinghaving meansy for admitting air around4 and close to the discharge it having; an. air inta-ke' opening in its top between theloutlet and the steam inlet, and d drain pipe opening in'tothe bottom. of said casingf 9. An apparzitus for'tieai'ting'shoes comprising er casing, fit-boss projectlngl from the rear Wall of ,said easing, a1 steam delivery nozzlesupported in said boss and construct ed to distribute lsteam substantially uniformly tlnoughout said casing, seid boss having a series of holes to admit air closey to the discharge end 'of said nozzle, seid casing having a' long, narrow 'outlet neer-tits:-

front side and. ai; air intakeopening in its' ltop, and an inclined rest positioned along the frontside of said casing to support the 'i Work,l seidA rest,` casing vend bossA being'integral. y

l0.. An apparatus for treating shoes, cornprising" vthe casing 2 having. an vinclined* Hoor, the rest 28 integral with said casing and extending substantially parallel vwith sfiid Hoor but spaced therefrom sufeiently to admit :i series olasts between the Hoor and said urest with the shoe uppers attached to seid lasts 'lying on the top of said casing,

'and 'means for snpplyingvapor to said cas#v 111g, said casing having a, discharge outlet g positioned to' direct vapor against the np'- pers resting thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification ii the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERCK M. FURBER.

VVitnesse's:l i

JOHN H. MCCREADY, EMILE H. TARDIVEI'J. 

